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Commentary

In the latest Capitol Weekly podcast, former California Forward Co-chair Lenny Mendonca — and recently appointed Chief Economic and Business Advisor and Director of the Office of Business and Economic Development — spoke with Capitol Weekly's John Howard and Tim Foster. Listen to the trio talk about "high-speed rail, taxes – and beer."

Mendonca’s assignment is to re-engineer the State's approach to job creation and economic development to increase economic security and the restore the potential of the California Dream for all Californians.

“Our approach to economic development is not going to be from Sacramento down, but the ideas and approaches will come from the regions of California,” Mendonca said to the CA Fwd Leadership Council back in February.

As the governor’s senior business advisor, Mendonca is working to align multiple agencies and programs, and to drive private investments into economic development activities with the potential to reduce poverty and income inequality and increase the state’s overall economic competitiveness and resiliency.